A. In addition to other record books required by law, each court shall keep docket and minute books. B. The clerk of the court shall enter in the docket book the number and title of each action or proceeding filed in the court, the date of filing of the petition, exceptions, answers, and other pleadings, and the court costs paid by and the names of counsel of record for each of the parties. C. All orders and judgments rendered, all motions made, all proceedings conducted, and all judicial acts of the court during each day it is in session shall be entered in the minute book. D. An electronic record of the minutes which is not capable of alteration without indication that a change has been made may be maintained in lieu of a written entry.
Art. 254.Docket and Minute Books
Title I. Courts · Chapter 5. Clerks · Enacted 1995 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 254 requires every court to keep a docket book tracking each case's filings, court costs, and counsel of record, plus a minute book recording each day's orders, judgments, motions, and other judicial acts, either on paper or as a tamper-evident electronic record.
Full Text of Art. 254
Amendment History
Acts 1995, No. 1003, §1.
Plain-English Summary
Two different record books capture what happens in a Louisiana case, and Article 254 requires every court to keep both. The docket book is the case-level index: the number and title of each action, the date the petition and later pleadings were filed, the court costs paid, and who represents each party.
The minute book is the day-by-day log. Every order, judgment, motion, and judicial act that happens while court is in session that day gets entered there — it's the record of what the court did, as opposed to what's been filed.
Courts don't have to keep these on paper. An electronic record satisfies the article as long as it can't be altered without showing that a change was made, preserving the same trustworthiness a bound paper book would have.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between the docket book and the minute book?
The docket book tracks a case's filings, costs, and attorneys of record. The minute book records what the court did each day it was in session — orders, judgments, motions, and other judicial acts.
Where would I find out what happened at a court hearing?
The minute book entry for that day's session records the orders, rulings, and other judicial acts that took place.
Can Louisiana courts keep these records electronically instead of on paper?
Yes, so long as the electronic version can't be changed without showing that an alteration was made.
What information does the docket book contain?
Each case's number and title, the filing dates of the petition and other pleadings, the court costs paid, and the names of counsel of record.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the vLex (Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, 2026 Edition). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: docket book Louisiana clerkminute book court recordLouisiana court minutescase docket entries clerk of court